Phone Calls From A Frightened Little Girl

[carfax6]

I have no evidence, but I suspect prank calls are less common now, for 2 reasons I can think of: first, caller ID sorta spoils it all, and second, most kids now have a lot more things to do before they get bored enough to think, "I know, phone up a stranger!" But who knows. I don't think it was ever all that prevalent.

Prank phone calling is just a subset of a wider culture of anonymous communication which is bigger than ever. Surely the phenomenon has moved onto the Net now what with trolling, Twitter threats and related arrests, malicious fake identities etc. etc...? Technology has enabled even more potential for this kind of mischief, not less, and people certainly seem to be taking advantage of that to express their demons. All the Twitter trouble lately and the instances of teenagers being 'trolled to suicide' suggests this is all coming to a head in some quarters.

 

[RedQueenWildBoy]

Thanks for the reply, Carfax! Much appreciated. x

 

[mariposacibernetico]

On a similar note, does anyone else recall a letter to FT several years ago in which it was claimed that if a certain number was dialled the (presumably recorded) message heard at the other end was something along the lines of "Suzie's Dead"?

I think the writer of this letter claimed that they called this number several times in the 1970s and it was common knowledge amongst kids that the reply would always be the same (hence the implication that it was a recorded message).

This does seem to suggest a 1970s 'playground contemporary legend' of some sort; alternatively, there may have been a pre-recorded message (much like the speaking clock) of a utilitarian nature that was misinterpreted as a more sinister message if heard by a child or young adult.

Sorry, if I'm breaking forum rules or ettiquette by replying to a 7-year-old post from a dead account, but I was just searching the forum for "phonebox", in hopes of finding a reference to this very story!

A couple of other details I remember about it were that the number in question was a long string of ones and zeroes, and the voice on the other end was that of a scared or sad-sounding old woman. But like AMoffatt says, the whole thing was almost definitely a case of playground exaggeration and/or misinterpretation.

The letter I saw was probably in the late 1990s or early 2000s.

 

[EnolaGaia]

Sorry, if I'm breaking forum rules or ettiquette by replying to a 7-year-old post from a dead account ...

Quite the opposite - we welcome additional discussion on the topics that have accumulated during this forum's two decades of operation.

 

[EnolaGaia]

... I was just searching the forum for "phonebox", in hopes of finding a reference to this very story!
A couple of other details I remember about it were that the number in question was a long string of ones and zeroes, and the voice on the other end was that of a scared or sad-sounding old woman. But like AMoffatt says, the whole thing was almost definitely a case of playground exaggeration and/or misinterpretation.
The letter I saw was probably in the late 1990s or early 2000s.

This was mentioned in Fortean Times, Issue 138 (October 2000).

At that time, and sporadically thereafter, this story was discussed on Google Groups:

alt.misc.forteana
Thread Title: Haunted telephone numbers
https://groups.google.com/g/alt.misc.forteana/c/BuufBJzDeJk

Here are the 3 most substantive postings from that thread ...

kat...
Oct 7, 2000, 3:00:00 AM

Hello,
In the October issue of Fortean Times i read a letter that interested a great deal. I'd never heard of anything like it before and i wondered if anyone could shed any light on it.

The author of the letter (a Mr. R Dickinson), claims that around 1975, he and a few friends dialled a telephone number that may have been made up of zeros, ones and twos (they were calling from a public payphone and did not insert any money), they then heard a 'curiously monotone voice' saying "help me, help me, Susie's dying" over and over. Some of his friends who dialled the number regularly said that sometimes the word dying was changed to drowning. Mr Dickinson hoped that someone could shed some light on the matter, and suggests that maybe it was some kind of bizarre test signal.

I too am very interested in this, and if anyone else has had similar experiences i would like to hear about it.

I have tried searching the internet for details and browsed through the archives of several Urban Legend websites, but nothing similar crops up at all.

Many thanks for any information anyone can supply. ...

fifes...
Jun 4, 2015, 5:24:57 PM

I can absolutely confirm that this actually happened! This is how it worked. You'd dial a few numbers by tapping the receiver holder not dialling the number via the dia, this is due to the signal being analogue and numbers were literally are tones. You've then heard a male voice say "start test" which would repeat until you put the receiver down. The phone then rings and depending on the test you'd hear either tones or messages. The Susie message was the only one I could remember and it actually said in a low female stern voice "Susies dying help me" and repeat. The voice DIDN'T say "help me help me Susie's dyin". I'm with a friend and we both heard this so we thought we'd Google the phrase, and here's where we ended up!

This was in a phone box around 1979 in a village called Fence near Burnley. Strangely enough there are other stories like this that are from people in Burnley. I can hand on heart remember this clearly so all I've stated is fact and not blurred memories!

hyperrobin...
unread,
Dec 26, 2018, 5:43:17 PM

This is going to sound unspeakably cliche but I'm saying it anyway. I'm Arthur, and I run a YouTube channel that looks at paranormal activity. I ran this off as fake; and assumed even if it did exist at some point that it would have stopped putting out messages by the time of writing (Dec 2018). However, too my suprise (an understatement), by simply typing in the Burnley area code followed by 20202020 into a telephone box in East Sussex, I had someone/something pick up and after some static, a woman (who sounded about 40?) say 'Help me, help me, Susy's dying' almost emotionlessly. The "help me"s and "Suzy's Dying"s were switched around. Yeah, I don't know if someone relaunched the signal to mess with people, but yeah, if you manage to access it report back to me. Doesn't make sense for this to be a one-off.

 

[mariposacibernetico]

That's a lot of info! That last one does sound fake though, either by the poster, or by someone setting up a phone line and an answering machine as some kind of incredibly niche prank.

But then, the very narrow net such a prankster would be casting makes it seem real.

 

[EnolaGaia]

Here are a set of letters sent to Fortean Times (including the original Dickinson letter), from a posting over on Reddit. They were supposedly included in a book of letters (or perhaps IHTM notes?) published in the magazine.

Back around 1975 when I was nine, some of the kids I knocked around with insisted we all pile into the nearest phone box to hear a spooky message. By dialing a number - I think it was made up of zeros, twos and ones - and without needing to insert two pence, a woman, speaking in a curiously monotone voice, could be heard saying "Help me, help me, Susie's dying" over and over. Some of the lads said she sometimes said "Help me, help me Susie's drowning" - always in the same slow, seemingly bored tone of voice. Was it some weird engineer's test signal (hence no money needed)? -Rob Dickinson, Worsthorne, Lancashire, UK. 2000.

I can remember once cramming into a phone box in the Stoneyholme area of Burnley with various other kids to hear the strange message related by Rob Dickinson. I cannot remember the number dialed. Could this be an early example of EVP (electronic voice phenomenon), or just inexplicable interference on the telephone system, filtered through the active imaginations of young witnesses? -Christopher McDermott, London. 2000.

I remember the spooky message when I was a child playing with the old red phone boxes in Burnley. Two phone boxes in particular were prone to mysterious scary voice messages - one at the top of Dalton Street on Planetree Estate and the other at the end of Harold Street on Stoops Estate. As I remember, you put 2p in the slot and dialled 20 20 20 20 and the voice on the other end would be crackly but audible, "Help me, Susie's dying", which would send us kids running in all directions. -AG Russell-Dallamore, by email. 2003.

I am from Burnley and have a vivid memory of the strange phone message. In either 1980 or 1981, three other girls and myself were loitering with the intent not to go back to school after lunch. We were messing around in a phone box near to school, calling random numbers and talking rubbish if anyone answered (we thought it was funny!). One of the girls said she knew a number you could call to hear a "spooky message" - I think there were 3s and 2s in it. When she called this number we all heard the message as quoted in previous correspondence. I have no doubts as to the phrasing of what I heard. It was a clear voice with no audible distortion. Needless to say, we were all a bit freaked out by this and when a British Telecom van pulled up nearby we made a hasty retreat and returned to school. -Tracey Maclean, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. 2003.

SOURCE (Reddit)

 

[escargot]

They were supposedly included in a book of letters (or perhaps IHTM notes?)

One of the IHTM books perhaps.

 

[Spookdaddy]

...A couple of other details I remember about it were that the number in question was a long string of ones and zeroes, and the voice on the other end was that of a scared or sad-sounding old woman...

I've actually been getting something like this, on and off, for around four years. Nothing weird about it, really - it's clearly related to wrong numbers. But the first instance was extremely off-putting as it occurred at around 03.00 and the caller has a very croaky, strained and gravelly voice, very much like those alleged 'ghost' voices you sometimes hear on documentaries (think Enfield poltergeist, but a little higher in pitch). I didn't wake in time to take the call, but did immediately check the voice message.

Once I'd got my head sorted I realised that the words were English with some odd usage and the occasional unknown thrown in for measure - and although the voice was too distorted to pin down the accent with any accuracy I surmised that the speaker was Caribbean, West African, or at an outside possibility Indian. (It was an obvious call, but quite a while before it struck me that if I actually entered the unsolicited number on my phone memory it would indicate any related WhatsApp account, and possibly a profile picture - which it did: my West African guess was probably closest the mark.)

The first call was quite stressful, as, aside from initially thinking that I'd been rung up from beyond the veil, I thought at first that the lady was in distress and asking a relation she had intended to call for help: I could pick out the croaky words 'Auntie' and 'help', between rattle-lunged intakes of breath, but, at first, not much else. However, a more thorough listening to indicated it was more likely someone calling a relative that they had not spoken to for a while.

I've had quite a few calls from the lady. I tried engaging once or twice, but, on top of everything else, she is clearly quite deaf. I don't answer now, but she always takes the time to leave a message. I've sent her text messages indicating that I think she possibly has the wrong number, but to no avail. I even got quite worried about her when I stopped getting calls for around twelve months from mid 2019, but received another around four weeks ago (which, I'll admit, was quite a relief - I've become quite attached to the poltergeist voiced auld biddy and thought the virus might have finished her off; lord knows, she sounds like someone who is on an at risk spectrum).

Probably sounds quite anodyne, but, to illustrate the particular power of this lady's voice I should say that at work the next day, while briefing a load of hairy arsed ex squaddies, ex-criminals, ex-ne'er do wells etc on their day ahead, I played the message. Initial nonchalance soon turned to universal consternation: Whooooah! Jeez mon - that sounds like the fuckin undead! I'd nae sleep a wink after that, pal!

 

[Lb8535]

I've actually been getting something like this, on and off, for around four years. Nothing weird about it, really - it's clearly related to wrong numbers. But the first instance was extremely off-putting as it occurred at around 03.00 and the caller has a very croaky, strained and gravelly voice, very much like those alleged 'ghost' voices you sometimes hear on documentaries (think Enfield poltergeist, but a little higher in pitch). I didn't wake in time to take the call, but did immediately check the voice message.

Once I'd got my head sorted I realised that the words were English with some odd usage and the occasional unknown thrown in for measure - and although the voice was too distorted to pin down the accent with any accuracy I surmised that the speaker was Caribbean, West African, or at an outside possibility Indian. (It was an obvious call, but quite a while before it struck me that if I actually entered the unsolicited number on my phone memory it would indicate any related WhatsApp account, and possibly a profile picture - which it did: my West African guess was probably closest the mark.)

The first call was quite stressful, as, aside from initially thinking that I'd been rung up from beyond the veil, I thought at first that the lady was in distress and asking a relation she had intended to call for help: I could pick out the croaky words 'Auntie' and 'help', between rattle-lunged intakes of breath, but, at first, not much else. However, a more thorough listening to indicated it was more likely someone calling a relative that they had not spoken to for a while.

I've had quite a few calls from the lady. I tried engaging once or twice, but, on top of everything else, she is clearly quite deaf. I don't answer now, but she always takes the time to leave a message. I've sent her text messages indicating that I think she possibly has the wrong number, but to no avail. I even got quite worried about her when I stopped getting calls for around twelve months from mid 2019, but received another around four weeks ago (which, I'll admit, was quite a relief - I've become quite attached to the poltergeist voiced auld biddy and thought the virus might have finished her off; lord knows, she sounds like someone who is on an at risk spectrum).

Probably sounds quite anodyne, but, to illustrate the particular power of this lady's voice I should say that at work the next day, while briefing a load of hairy arsed ex squaddies, ex-criminals, ex-ne'er do wells etc on their day ahead, I played the message. Initial nonchalance soon turned to universal consternation: Whooooah! Jeez mon - that sounds like the fuckin undead! I'd nae sleep a wink after that, pal!

Just for the fun f it - have you located the number and looked up a reverse phone directory? All things being equal you can find the listing.

 

[GNC]

That's a coincidence, @Spookdaddy - about 15 years ago I had a phone call in the middle of the night, didn't get to the phone but listened to the message recording (on a landline) and it was a gravelly, foreign voice, completely unintelligible. It was a male voice (I think). I assumed it was a wrong number, and they never called again. Now I'm wondering!

 

[Spookdaddy]

Just for the fun f it - have you located the number and looked up a reverse phone directory? All things being equal you can find the listing.

I thought about it - but, as far as I'm aware, technically illegal in the UK, and although I'm sure that there's a way of doing it I'm not bothered enough to either pay for the service, or - well - be that bothered. I'm happy to leave it as one of life's little mysteries.

 

[Ghost In The Machine]

...

Probably sounds quite anodyne, but, to illustrate the particular power of this lady's voice I should say that at work the next day, while briefing a load of hairy arsed ex squaddies, ex-criminals, ex-ne'er do wells etc on their day ahead, I played the message. Initial nonchalance soon turned to universal consternation: Whooooah! Jeez mon - that sounds like the fuckin undead! I'd nae sleep a wink after that, pal!

The only mystery I want solving is what job do you do that involves briefing a load of hairy arsed ex squaddies and ex crims?

 

[Mythopoeika]

The only mystery I want solving is what job do you do that involves briefing a load of hairy arsed ex squaddies and ex crims?

Building industry.

 

[Tempest63]

Building industry.

I don’t quite think so!

 

[Mythopoeika]

I don’t quite think so!

Spookdaddy works in the building industry.

 

[Ghost In The Machine]

Building industry.

Ah that explains it.

 

[Spookdaddy]

The only mystery I want solving is what job do you do that involves briefing a load of hairy arsed ex squaddies and ex crims?

I earn my crust in a few different ways - a major thread being construction for large scale outdoor events (at least, it was before the plague hit). We use event crews - decent ones, mind - whose employment criteria are, shall we say, quite forgiving, and, to be fair, cover a pretty broad spectrum of humanity. I've always said that that kind of business is about as close as you can get to running away to sea without getting your feet wet.

 

[Tempest63]

Spookdaddy works in the building industry.

You pretty much need a good degree to get into the construction industry in any decent role these days, even the foot soldiers generally have to have an NVQ now. A labourer has to sit and pass a health and safety test to get a basic CSCS card.
The days of rocking up to a site and getting a start as menial labour are well past in the regulated parts of the industry.

 

[Spookdaddy]

You pretty much need a good degree to get into the construction industry in any decent role these days, even the foot soldiers generally have to have an NVQ now. A labourer has to sit and pass a health and safety test to get a basic CSCS card...

To be fair, none of that is necessarily beyond the odd ex con, and certainly not the squaddies. And I do have a decent degree.

That said though, the particular scenario I was talking about was not connected to the regular building industry, although there is quite a lot of crossover in terms of staff.

 

[RedQueenWildBoy]

Sorry, if I'm breaking forum rules or ettiquette by replying to a 7-year-old post from a dead account, but I was just searching the forum for "phonebox", in hopes of finding a reference to this very story!

And yet, I live! I'm the poster formerly known as Beltania - I switched names along with the forum changeover and have been back to my lurking ways ever since. Thank you to everyone adding their stories and collating older posts!

A few semi-interesting updates - in my 2013 posts I mentioned getting repeated and inexplicably misdirected calls from people looking for the charity Mind. Curiously enough, as of 2019 I've been working for Mind, and now answer a great many strange and often troubling phone calls from people with a range of psychiatric conditions. I'm now very fortunate to have the experience and training to take bizarre and unexpected phone conversations in my stride... although I don't think any amount of training could prepare me for hearing from alternate-dimension relatives in peril!

 

[PeteS]

And yet, I live! I'm the poster formerly known as Beltania - I switched names along with the forum changeover and have been back to my lurking ways ever since. Thank you to everyone adding their stories and collating older posts!

A few semi-interesting updates - in my 2013 posts I mentioned getting repeated and inexplicably misdirected calls from people looking for the charity Mind. Curiously enough, as of 2019 I've been working for Mind, and now answer a great many strange and often troubling phone calls from people with a range of psychiatric conditions. I'm now very fortunate to have the experience and training to take bizarre and unexpected phone conversations in my stride... although I don't think any amount of training could prepare me for hearing from alternate-dimension relatives in peril!

I took a few such calls when volunteering for a charity. There was always an element of reality behind their calls though. I well remember one call from a very very distressed elderly lady, all I could get out of her was that she couldn't sleep and wanted the number of her local café. Wouldn't listen to my endeavours to calm her until it finally clicked and I asked if she had lost something (trying to be diplomatic). Yes she had left her handbag containing her sleeping tablets in the café. Fortunately handbag and sleeping tablets were quickly reunited with owner.

 

[bugmum]

I took a few such calls when volunteering for a charity. There was always an element of reality behind their calls though. I well remember one call from a very very distressed elderly lady, all I could get out of her was that she couldn't sleep and wanted the number of her local café. Wouldn't listen to my endeavours to calm her until it finally clicked and I asked if she had lost something (trying to be diplomatic). Yes she had left her handbag containing her sleeping tablets in the café. Fortunately handbag and sleeping tablets were quickly reunited with owner.

I once answered the phone in the office to find a very deaf and rather confused old lady on the other end, who had obviously rung the wrong number. She was convinced that we were her local pharmacy. I had to have a very loud conversation to tell her that she wasn't talking to her pharmacist, all the time while she was loudly telling me about her prescriptions. I think I managed to convey her mistake through to her in the end, but I certainly remember that the rest of the people in the office were falling around laughing at my predicament.

 

[Frideswide]

And yet, I live! I'm the poster formerly known as Beltania - I switched names along with the forum changeover and have been back to my lurking ways ever since. Thank you to everyone adding their stories and collating older posts!

If you would like us to try to link your new name to your old, please let us know!

Frides